


Happy Accidents

by BirdOfHermes



Series: Warden and Wizard [2]
Category: The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Black Character(s), Brotp, Caught, Co-workers, Coitus Interruptus, Dark Magic, Dating, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Dorks in Love, Epiphanies, Established Relationship, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Female Character of Color, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Interracial Relationship, Magic, Missionary Position, Rescue, Rescue Missions, Rough Sex, Secret Relationship, Shameless Smut, Verbal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-01-25 05:50:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21351283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BirdOfHermes/pseuds/BirdOfHermes
Summary: A few months into their secret relationship, Harry Dresden and Warden Cassie Wright run into a little snag that might make or break them. Short sequel to my fic "I Put a Spell on You." Post Proven Guilty. HarryxOC.
Relationships: Harry Dresden/Original Female Character
Series: Warden and Wizard [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2025983
Comments: 21
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> You know the drill, people. I'm just a squirrel trying to get a nut, so what's up?

_Miss Independent  
_

_Miss Self Sufficient_

_Miss “Keep your distance”_

_Miss Unafraid_

_Miss “Out of my way”_

_Miss “Don’t let a man interfere”_

_No!_

_ Miss “On her own”_

_Miss Almost Grown_

_Miss “never let a man help her off her throne”_

_So by keeping her heart protected_

_She’d never ever feel rejected_

_Little Miss Apprehensive_

_Said ooh, she fell in love_

_What is this feeling taking over?_

_Thinking no one could open the door_

_Surprise! It’s time to feel what’s real_

_What happened to Miss Independent?_

_No longer need to be defensive_

_Goodbye, old you, when love is true_

_-“Miss Independent” by Kelly Clarkson _

There was a certain kind of bliss waking up in someone’s arms.

Especially if that someone was the guy you’d been crushing on super hard and you lucked out that he reciprocated said crush.

It was a nice Sunday morning and I didn’t have to report in until the afternoon for any Warden business, so there I lay, pretending I wasn’t positively giddy as I woke up to discover the 6’9’’ wizard slash private investigator curled around me like an enormous kitty cat. His breath warmed my neck every few seconds, his face partially pressed to my dark hair, one leanly muscled arm draped over my hip, his bare chest rising and falling along my shoulder blades. Harry Dresden was objectively terrifying to anyone who didn’t know him, and yet he loved cuddling. It was too cute. I loved it.

Honestly, I could lay here until the end of time. I loved lazy mornings.

“Is there something you’d like to share with the class, Sassy Cassie?” Harry rumbled in my ear after a moment. Ah. So he’d been awake already. He must have felt my breathing change once I’d woken up. Harry was quite perceptive, which was both a gift and a curse sometimes.

“That’s Warden Cassie to you, Dresden,” I sniffed haughtily. “Lest ye forget.”

“I would never,” he assured me. To further sell his sincerity, he kissed the nape of my neck. I didn’t even try to suppress the shockwave of pleasing shivers that rolled down my back. We’d both gotten to my place a bit late, so we hadn’t fooled around last night; just passed out in bed in a heap and nodded off like true tired adults. Now, though…

“Mr. Dresden, you’re trying to seduce me.”

His hand wandered underneath my oversized t-shirt. Let the record show it was oversized because it was his shirt. Harry rigorously approved of seeing me in his shirts and I didn’t have a single problem with it. “Why, whatever would make you think that, Ms. Wright?”

He rubbed my belly with those long, calloused fingers and I started purring contently before I could help it. He dragged his teeth over my ear lobe and then nudged my hair to one side, dropping slow kisses to the side of my neck. Harry scooted closer. My eyes fluttered shut as his pecs molded into my shoulder blades and his hand journeyed lower, past my bellybutton, on its way to the holy land. I couldn’t help squirming in place as his fingers found me underneath the cotton panties, his strokes slow and patient, gradually increasing the wetter I got. I mumbled his name, gripping his wrist, and it was apparently all he needed.

Harry rolled to put himself on top, but curiously, he didn’t flip me over. I realized why a moment later; he’d wanted better access and the help of simple gravity. He lined himself up with me and I openly moaned this time as I felt his hard cock against my ass, all the while his fingers kept up those delicious caresses between my legs. He moved in tandem, gently thrusting against my ass, the friction driving little whimpers out of me, his hand inside my underwear working wonders. After he’d tortured me enough, he slipped two fingers into me and groaned low in his throat as my slick walls clenched over both digits greedily.

“Dammit, Harry,” I whined, clutching the pillow in an attempt to stay grounded. “I hate it when you tease.”

He clucked his tongue. “Patience is a virtue.”

“I am virtue-less,” I snarked back. “Without virtue. Void of virtue. I am a sinner in the hands of an angry god.”

Harry chuckled and sunk down to my level, using his free hand to brush my hair to the side. He kissed my cheek and rubbed his five o’clock shadow against my skin, which I loved to death, his voice deepening with arousal. “What sins have you committed lately, Cassie?”

“Oh, I’d say lust is probably at the top of the list.” I sucked in a breath and bit my lip as he flattened his palm against my clit to add an extra bit of pressure. He didn’t stop riding my ass, either, and with every second, I could feel the orgasm creeping closer. Damn him. He could play me like a fiddle. “Maybe a little gluttony in there too.”

He bit my throat lightly, playfully. “Lot of that going around, I hear.”

Harry shifted his weight to be more on top of me, almost pinning me on the bed, his hips picking up speed against the soft curve of my backside. I shoved my face into the pillow to muffle an exceptionally loud moan. I really didn’t need the neighbors calling the cops thinking the man was mauling me to death. Harry sighed in my ear as he heard me, sliding his fingers deeper, thrusting more quickly. “Hell’s bells, woman. You’re being stubborn.”

“I’m not stubborn,” I protested between weak breaths. “I’m obstinate.”

“And I’m impatient,” he growled, and that got another shudder out of me. “God, you’re soaking wet. I know how much you want this. Take it. It’s yours.”

“Fuck,” I mewled, my spine arching, my will power unraveling. “Don’t talk like that, please, Harry.”

He let out his own little purr, and it was utterly devastating as the vibrations tickled down my back. “I’ll talk however I want to my girl.”

I couldn’t last another second.

I shoved my face into the pillow and screamed as my orgasm rushed up from between my thighs and crackled through my nerves like lightning. I couldn’t help working my hips down against his hand to ensure his fingers made their way right to the aching point of heat at my center. I came loud and long and glorious and then simply went limp as the strength left me. I lay there dazed, trying desperately to catch my breath, my body a puddle of quivering Jello underneath my wizard.

Mm. That sounded nice. My wizard.

That’s right. He _was_ my wizard. I had some thoughts about that.

I rolled onto my back. Harry drew his hand away, his handsome face flushed, those brown eyes with their huge pupils hyper-focused on me. I grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him down to me, kissing him roughly, messily, biting where I saw fit.

“Fuck me,” I ordered. “Fuck me, Harry.”

Harry shivered and groaned, his voice slipping yet another octave lower. “God, I would love to.”

He raked the panties off, his boxers flying off as well, and shoved my legs apart with his knees, in far too much of a rush to bother removing the shirt. He flattened me to the bed with his weight and found me on the first stroke, his aim utterly impeccable. My spine arched. I moaned into his mouth as his cock filled me and let my nails scrape over his ribs to tear a groan out of him again. There was nothing sexier than his sounds of pleasure. I knew he tried to keep a lid on it sometimes, so I made every effort to loosen him up and get him to understand it only turned me on more to hear him enjoying himself with me.

Harry refused to separate from my lips even with our height difference, kissing me on every other breath. He had taken my order quite seriously; every succulent thrust made my body slide along the sheets from the sheer force of them. I coiled my legs around his thighs, using the leverage to help shove myself onto his cock even harder, and he let out a feral noise with no real syllables. We didn’t try to make it last. It wasn’t about that. I’d found that long sessions of sex were just as good as the quickies with him, much to my delight.

Harry reared up onto his knees, pushing the dark, sweaty hair out of his eyes, gripping my hips in those huge hands. His eyes roved over me and locked onto where we were joined, watching his frantic pumps into my melting core. I gripped his forearms, my eyes rolling back in my head as he fucked me closer and closer to paradise, the wet slap of skin on skin only arousing me further. He stayed steady until my thighs wrapped around his waist.

His lips found mine again as he widened his stance on the bed, pounding into me at breakneck speed, his velvet voice an urgent hiss. “Come, Cassie. Come for me. Come for me like a good girl.”

Oh, the smooth bastard. He knew my buttons, every damn one of them. I couldn’t resist him any longer. I cursed him joyfully as I flew to the finish line. The climax exploded out of me, detonating his own release at the same time. Harry buried his face in my hair, his mouth finding my neck and biting down possessively, which only made me come even harder around his cock. I ground down onto his lap again and again, wringing out the pleasure, trying my best to extend it for as long as possible. Harry’s thrusts slowed a moment at a time and then ceased, leaving him an exhausted, warm living blanket on top of me. He was frightfully heavy, but I was pretty strong from the physical demands of being a Warden. I let him catch his breath, nearly wanting to giggle as I felt that our heartbeats had synced up in the last few minutes.

He roused after a bit, muttering, “sorry” as he realized he’d passed out for a little bit with me trapped underneath him. I grinned and cupped his face in both hands, rubbing his jaw affectionately. “Shut up, you big dumb cinnamon roll. Nothing to be sorry for.”

He shook his head at me, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. “Cinnamon roll?”

“It’s a term of endearment from my generation,” I explained, looping my arms around his neck. “You done good, Dresden, trust me.”

He nibbled his lower lip for a second. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“If that was pain, call me a masochist.” I kissed him. “It was perfect.”

Harry gave me a sweet, sheepish smile. “Good.”

Then he blinked up at the candles perched above the bed frame. “Should we be concerned?"

“Hmm?” I tilted my head back and followed his gaze. Harry had taught me a nifty trick that wove into the wards protecting my apartment: a green, yellow, and red candle each that lit up if someone approached and tried to enter. Green meant friendly, yellow meant undecided, and red meant hostile magic at the door. The green candle leapt to life and as it did, I heard my front door open and close.

“Cassie!” A voice called from the den. “It’s time for Sunday brunch!”

“Oh, no,” I whispered in true terror as I realized I’d forgotten what day it was.

Harry’s eyes widened. “Is that—”

He didn’t get the rest of the words out. I heard the doorknob turn and shoved him right off the bed as my mother, Warden Ellen Wright, walked into my bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie and Harry deal with her mother's unceremonious interruption.

“Mom!” I screeched as I dragged the sheets up over my legs. I’d said it as loud as humanly possible to try to cover the noise poor Harry had made once he tumbled onto the carpet beside the bed. My mother strode into my bedroom as if she owned the joint, her lips pursed at me for hollering. “Do you know how to knock?!”

“You have very selective hearing,” she sniffed. “I could knock for hours and you don’t answer, especially if you’re avoiding me. Get your lazy butt out of bed and help me cook.”

“Mom,” I said, seething. “Seriously, we need to establish some boundaries. Please don’t just barge into my room like that anymore. I’m twenty-four years old, not fourteen and living at home with you. I have a life.”

She snorted. “Since when?”

First off, ouch. Second off, I tried not to think about the fact that the evidence of Harry’s release was still dripping down my inner thighs beneath the sheets. Oh, the irony. “It may not be a glamorous one, but it’s still my life, and I’d like it to stay that way if you don’t mind.”

She kept up the steady stare and then crossed her arms. “Right. So I guess it’s time we talk about it, then?”

“About what?”

She narrowed her brown eyes at me. “The boyfriend.”

I sat perfectly still. I couldn’t see or hear Harry, but I got the feeling he’d probably done the same thing. I’d panicked by total accident when I shoved him off the bed, but he’d had the common sense to just roll with it and hide underneath it for the time being. He’d told me before he wasn’t very good at Veils and that was a good thing anyway--as a Warden with a semi-rebellious daughter, one of the first things my mother learned to do was see through one. I’d had to be very creative as a practitioner-in-training sneaking out.

“What boyfriend?” I lied. “You just said I have no life.”

“Not a proper one, considering your choice of partners,” she grumbled. “Either way, let’s just get it over with. I know you’re seeing him. I’m not stupid, Cassie. I raised you. So why don’t we just be honest with each other for once?”

Shit, shit shit. My heart bounced off all my internal organs. She was going to go nuclear on me, to say nothing of what she was about to do to Harry. Hell’s bells. What could I even say? After all, I was fucking a co-worker. Thankfully, Harry hadn’t been assigned as my direct superior, but the White Council definitely discouraged romantic relationships in the organization. She was one of the loudest voices about that sort of thing, as a matter of fact.

“Look, Mom, it’s none of your business what I do with my free time. I’m a grown woman.”

“I know you’re a grown woman,” she said. “But you can do way better than some pretty boy White Court vampire.”

“I—” I stopped dead, rewound what she’d just said, and then tried to comprehend it. Then I realized she’d inadvertently given me the perfect method of escape.

“Don’t deny it,” she continued. “I can smell the cologne. Your hair’s a mess and you have a fresh bite mark on your neck, for God’s sake. He was just here. So can we just get this lecture over with so I can make breakfast? I’m starving.”

I schooled my face to keep from showing any utter relief. “You don’t need to lecture me.”

“Clearly, I do. Thomas is a Raith. His household is directly against the White Council. You have no idea how dangerous that man can be and if he gets his hooks into you for long enough, you’re done. If the Council finds out, you’re not only out on your ass, but they’ll drag you in for fraternization with the enemy. I’ve tried to be patient while you…”

She squirmed a bit, not looking at me. “...got it out of your system, but it’s been over three months. Drop the creep and move on. You’ll risk your status as a Warden if they figure it out.”

“You can’t make demands like that and you shouldn’t be generalizing. Thomas may be a Raith, but that’s not all he is. He’s my friend.”

“Ha. They’re all your friends, Cassie. Every single White Court vampire. And they’ll be your friend until the exact second you stop being useful and then they’ll drain you dry, smiling while they do it.”

“We’re not having this conversation,” I snapped. “If I want to see him, I’m seeing him. He hasn’t done a damn thing wrong to me and I like the way he treats me. I’ll go before the Council if I have to, but you don’t get to decide that for me, Mom.”

Her nostrils flared. She shook her head at me. “Fine. You want to learn a lesson the hard way, go right ahead. It won’t last, Cassie. Things like that never do. Now get dressed and help me cook.”

With that, she left. I scurried across the carpet and locked the door behind her. Then I just sagged against the wall in pure relief. I heard movement and then poor Harry climbed out from under the bed. His face was red, but not with anger; rather, disbelief.

“Thomas?!” he demanded, though not loudly, just indignantly. “She thinks you’re fucking my brother instead of me?”

I choked on a noise halfway between a scoff and a snort. “You’re offended by that and not the fact that my mother just barged in here mere seconds after you fucked my brains out?”

“I’m offended in general, but come on!” He sat on the bed, growling, his arms crossed as he glared at the closed door. “Thomas, of all people. I’m not even on the radar. Typical.”

I rolled my eyes. “For God’s sake, Harry, let thine ego go.”

He grumbled something under his breath. “Fine, fine. Now what?”

“I’m gonna try to convince her to go to the supermarket with me for something so you can sneak out.” I chewed my bottom lip. “I’m really sorry about this. I...panicked. A lot. I was afraid she’d hurt you. Not that you’re some kind of delicate flower, but the last thing I want is for my mom to fight my lover. She’ll need to be eased into it, if she ever finds out.”

“If,” he repeated softly, his eye contact as intense as he could make it without inducing a Soulgaze. “So you’re not sure?”

I hissed out a breath, raking my tangled hair out of my face. “I’m not. I just…shit, this is hard to explain.”

He rubbed my shoulders, eventually settling his hands on either side of my waist. “It’s okay. I’m not trying to pressure you.”

“I know. I want it out in the open, but she’s sort of right. You’re not that much older than me, but if it were to come to light, the Council would immediately start pointing fingers to say you’d taken advantage of a poor, little new recruit. It could land us both in a ton of trouble. It’d be pretty damaging.”

Harry arched an eyebrow. “Uh, this is me we’re talking about, sweetheart. I rode a zombie dinosaur down Michigan Avenue. I don’t think my rep can get any more damaged.”

“I heard that story,” I said, a grin creeping across my lips. “And I am so glad to confirm that it’s true. It sounds exactly like that Harry Dresden subtlety I’ve heard so much about.”

“I am the very peak of subtle,” he agreed. “I agree that things might get messy if we go public.”

He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “I also know how I feel about you, so whatever you decide, I’m okay with it.”

I couldn’t help giving him a bit of a shy look then. “How, uh, how do you feel about me, exactly?”

Harry grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “I thought I made that clear just a few minutes ago.”

I tried not to giggle as another blush consumed my cheeks. “Oh, shush, you. So incorrigible. Honestly, though, I almost want to fuck you while she’s here just to make a point.”

Harry laughed. “Cassie, that would be unbelievably immature, dangerous, and inappropriate.”

He paused. “And it says a lot about me that I’m kind of considering it.”

I laughed then. “Good to know we’re on the same page.”

I glanced at the door, and then back at him slyly. “You know, the walls are pretty thick and we do both need a shower.”

Harry chuckled and kissed me. “Stop it, you. Let’s not tempt fate. We can shower together, but no funny business.”

I pursed my lips. “Meet me halfway?”

“Hmm...I’m listening.”

“Second base. Deal or no deal?”

Harry gave my ass a little tweak playfully. “Deal.”

It sounds extremely difficult to fool around in a completely cold shower.

We managed.

* * *

“Thomas, if you don’t stop laughing, I swear to God I will impale you with this hanger.”

The White Court vampire either didn’t hear me or didn’t care; he’d bowled over in a gale of mocking merriment after I had very stupidly told him the conclusion my mother had drawn.

“Oh my God,” Thomas giggled. “What did Harry say? Wait! What kind of look was on Harry’s face? He pouted, didn’t he? Tell me he pouted.”

“Thomas,” I said again, stomping my foot in emphasis. “Can we please focus on the task at hand?”

“Of course…” His grey eyes sparkled. “Baby.”

I counted to five and told myself not to set his expensive jacket on fire. “Are you quite finished?”

“Yes, pookums,” he grinned, kissing my cheek. “You’re so cute when you’re worked up.”

I heaved a sigh and turned back towards the rack. Several women had already spotted him and were circling like sharks, pretending to look at the clearance rack when really they were just looking at him. I’d gotten used to it by now. Thomas and I had gotten drinks once and found out we got along famously, so I’d asked him to help me find a gown for this stupid surveillance job the Wardens had given me.

“Really, though,” Thomas continued as he picked a spot further down the rack. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” I grumbled. “I knew things would get complicated. I just didn’t think it would happen this quickly.”

“Fair enough. Life comes at you fast. Guess the thing here is to decide what matters the most: career life or personal life. Sometimes you can’t always have both.”

“I know. I’d get slut shamed immediately if we went public. Maybe get less assignments. Maybe inadvertently make some enemies as Harry Dresden’s…” I cocked my head. “Uh. I don’t know if we’ve used the big G-word yet, actually.”

“Harry doesn’t just fool around with anyone,” Thomas said. “I’m sure he’s been calling you his girlfriend in his head. He’s probably just being careful not to scare you off by using it.”

“Oh. Hadn’t considered that yet. Good point. I’d better tell him that.” I picked up an emerald green dress. “Yes or no?”

“No, we want darker tones if you need to blend in.” He picked out a navy gown and handed it to me. “Give that a shot.”

He grinned again. “But first give your Tommy boy some sugar.”

I punched him in the side. “Knock it off.”

“But I love you!”

“Goddammit, Thomas.” I stomped into the dressing room and shimmied into the little sleek number he’d found for me. He may have been a pain in the ass, but he had good taste. The dress had pretty criss-crossed straps and dipped in the back, enough to be sexy but not slutty. It was also fitted, so not too loose and not too tight in any curvy areas. I scooped my hair up into something of a bun and examined the look, confirming that I could probably pull it off.

I exited the dressing room to find a store associate twirling her hair around one finger, chatting it up with Thomas. She jerked guiltily once she saw me and started babbling an excuse. “Oh, uh, excuse me, I was just seeing if he wanted to know that we have a sale on shoes that might go with that dress.”

I batted my lashes at her. “That’s very sweet of you. Thomas, honey, what do you think?”

She scurried away after one last look of longing at him. He shook his head at me. “You know, you’re not allowed to cockblock me if you’re not actually my girlfriend, dear Cassandra.”

“That wasn’t cockblocking. I just don’t want a second opinion when I’m already insecure enough about being in formal wear. Really, what do you think?”

“You are a snack I am aching to devour,” he said with a completely straight face. I punched him again and he chuckled, adopting a far more sincere tone. “You look lovely. It fits and it works with your complexion.”

“Mm.” I checked the price tag and then clutched my chest, wheezing. “But not with my wallet. Jesus Christ. It’s going right back in clearance, holy shit.”

Thomas plucked the tag out of my hand and snorted as he read it. “Oh, right. I forget that normal people aren’t, you know, part of the Raith clan. Don’t worry about it. I’ll get it.”

“One, pretty sure it’s too small for those broad shoulders.”

He rolled his eyes. “Ha-ha.”

“Two, you are not buying me this dress.”

“Unlike my brother, I’m not scared of you, little woman,” Thomas said with a smirk. “I do what I want. So wiggle your pretty butt back in there and change so we can go to Sephora already.”

“Sephora?” I sputtered. “I—what—you are not taking me to Sephora.”

“So you know how to apply your own makeup, yes?”

“…I’m supposed to wear makeup?”

He gave me a profoundly disappointed look. “My girlfriend is an idiot.”

“Oh, shut up. I mean it. Why do you want to buy me things, Thomas? I’ve known you for like three and a half months or something.”

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “No wonder he likes you. You’re just as dense as he is.”

“What?” I demanded.

“Cassie,” he said with exaggerated patience. “This may come as a shock, but I actually like you. This isn’t some kind of ‘play nice’ thing that I do with my brother’s girlfriends. I don’t have an agenda. I like you and I think you’re good for Harry. That’s it.”

I stared at him, my mouth slightly open, flustered. “Um, okay. I…didn’t really…consider that. I thought you were maybe feeling me out or something.”

“I was at first,” he admitted. “But it was pretty easy to tell from the beginning you’re just as much of a hopeless romantic dork as he is. You’re as transparent as a jellyfish, Cassie.”

I mimicked his voice on that last bit. “Fine. I’m just saying. You don’t have to buy this for me.”

“You’re a Warden. You need to know how to be incognito anyway and this is an area I’m familiar with. So I’m helping.”

“Thank you.”

He winked. “You’re welcome, pookums.”

“Jump up your own butt, vampire.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warden Ellen Wright is hellbent on her mission and consequences abound.

“Honey, I’m home!” I called in my usual sweet-as-sugar voice as I elbowed the door to Harry Dresden’s humble abode open enough to let me and Thomas in. He was kind enough to shut it for me as I shook off some of the cold and stooped to pet the furry sidekicks, Mister and Mouse, as they greeted me. I heard rummaging in the kitchen and then Harry appeared in his bathrobe, sweats, and slippers. Somehow, he looked just as good in that as he did in anything else.

“Yes,” Thomas said loudly, looping his arms around me and kissing my cheek. “My _girlfriend_ and I are home, Harry.”

Harry scowled deeply at me. “I thought we agreed not to tell him.”

“It was an accident,” I protested. “I swear.”

“That’s what they all say,” Thomas mused as he took my coat. “Now go show off what I bought you. With money. Because you are my _girlfriend_.”

I glared at him. “Can you not?”

“I have to,” Thomas said as he handed me the suit bag containing my fancy dress. “I’m his older brother. Torture is in the Brother Code.”

“What’s it say about murder in there?” Harry growled.

“Only okay for Cain and Abel,” the vampire sniffed. He waltzed into the kitchen having pestered us enough for the time being. “Off you go, kiddies.”

Harry heaved a sigh and followed me into his bedroom, stuffing down the last bit of sandwich as he went. “I should have been an only child.”

“I heard that,” Thomas called.

He shut the door behind us and stooped to kiss me. “Aside from that, how’d the shopping trip go?”

“Oh, he was his usual annoying self.” I tossed the suit bag and smaller Sephora bag on the bed. “But it turns out he does actually like me. He’s not just keeping an eye out to protect you.”

Harry gave me a baffled look. “Wait, he does that?”

I shook my head. “It’s a good thing you’re so cute, because you’re entirely useless, Harry. Of course Thomas looks out for you. Every other week there’s some kind of beastie after you and you do still have blindspots when it comes to women. I’m relieved Thomas has enough sense to somewhat vet your dates that stick around for more than a month or so.”

Harry glanced back in the direction of the kitchen. “Huh. Guess I didn’t really think about it. He used to needle me about dating, but I didn’t think he paid much attention to my actual dates.”

“I envy you,” I admitted as I stripped off my shirt. “I kind of wish I had a cool older sibling.”

Harry snorted and plopped down on the bed. Unsurprisingly, his brown eyes instantly found my cleavage and I had to suppress the urge to giggle. He was awful predictable. “You weren’t around when he was still living here. Trust me, there were days we almost killed each other.”

“Like any normal siblings, I imagine.” I wriggled out of my jeans and Harry made a purely male rumble of approval that did get a laugh out of me. I slipped into the gown and zipped it up, fluffing out my dark locks before turning around. “What do you think?”

Harry stared at me, licked his lips, and said, “I think I’m dating so far out of my league it’s not even funny.”

I beamed, unable to help it. “Really?”

“Really,” he assured me, his eyes running up and down my form. “You’re supposed to blend in, you know, not shame everyone else in the joint by being so beautiful.”

“It bears mentioning that Thomas picked this one out.”

“I didn’t doubt that for an instant. He has an eye for that sort of thing.” He ran his hands over my hips and drew me close. “I like it. A lot. In fact, what-say we void the return policy in it when you get back?”

I laughed. “One track mind, Dresden.”

I cleared my throat and looped my arms around his neck. “To that end, I realized something earlier. We haven’t really, uh, called this anything yet.”

He lifted his eyebrows. “How so?”

“Well, it’s just…I wouldn’t want you to think I’m afraid of commitment or anything. You can, you know…” I blushed and glanced away before the eye contact embarrassed me any further. “…call me your girlfriend. I mean, if you want to, it’s not a requirement—”

“Oh,” he said in relief. “I do happen to like the traditional title. Feel free to reciprocate.”

“Harry Dresden,” I said airily, raking his messy hair back. “Wizard, private investigator, Warden of the White Council, dynamite boyfriend.”

He grinned. “Cassie Wright, wizard, Warden, dynamite girlfriend. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

“Damn right it does.”

“Need any pointers for tonight?”

“No, I think I’m alright. It’s very basic surveillance, borderline like a stakeout. They just need a visual confirmation and I’m out of there. Boring stuff the senior Wardens don’t want to do.”

“Trust me, things can go from boring to crazy in half a second. Don’t let the stakeouts fool you.”

“Noted. What will you be up to?”

He nodded towards the manila folders stacked on his nightstand. “Got a case to study up on. Is your mother still on the warpath about your—” He paused to roll his eyes. “—vampire boyfriend?”

“Naturally, but I asked my dad to try to get her off my case for now. With any luck, it works.”

_Knock-knock._ We both turned our heads to the bedroom door. “Yeah?” Harry said.

Thomas popped his head inside and the distress on his features worried me instantly. “Uh, we’ve got a problem.”

“What now?” Harry groaned.

“Our girlfriend’s mother is here.”

My jaw dropped. “Wait, what?!”

“Uh, yeah,” Thomas said. “She just pulled up out front and she’s at the door.”

“Shit, shit, shit!” I hissed. “Do you think she followed us here?”

“Not a clue. Either way, it’s bad if she finds either one of us here.”

“Damn it,” Harry growled as he stood and pulled his robe closed. “You two stay here. I’ll see what she wants, but don’t be surprised if we’re in for a blowout.”

He slipped out of the bedroom. I needed to be able to boogie if things went down, so I started to change out of the dress before remembering Thomas was still in the room. I leveled a mild look at him. “Can you control yourself if I get dressed?”

“Just barely,” Thomas deadpanned. “It will pain me greatly not to partake of your supple flesh.”

I rolled my eyes and unzipped the dress, wriggling out of it. Thomas made the appropriate wolf whistle and I threw my sock at his head before changing back into my t-shirt and jeans. We both hovered beside the bedroom door once we heard the front door open and close. It was a small apartment, so the sound carried enough for us to hear the conversation, though muffled.

“Warden Wright,” Harry said in his most respectful tone. “This is a puzzling surprise.”

“Warden Dresden,” my mother said stiffly. “I apologize for the sudden intrusion. I usually try to call first, but I felt in light of the circumstances that it would be best to speak face-to-face.”

Thomas and I exchanged a worried look. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves.

“And what circumstances are those?” Harry asked.

I held my breath, waiting for her answer. “I’ll put it plainly. My daughter is…cavorting around with Thomas Raith of the White Court. I am aware that he is an associate of yours. I would like you persuade him to stop seeing her.”

For a few seconds, I just saw pure red.

How _dare _she.

I must have moved for the door. Thomas slid his arm around my stomach and held me against the front of his body. “Cassie, no. Cool it.”

“I’m gonna kill her,” I hissed as I tried to wriggle out of his grip. “Let go.”

“Cassie,” Thomas said again, his tone even. “You’ll make it ten times worse if you go in there. Calm down.”

“She has no right.”

“I know. But it won’t help. You have to let this play out for now.”

He wasn’t about to let go. I couldn’t budge. I ran through the facts—that he was much faster and stronger than me—and that he was probably right, as much as I didn’t want to admit it. Bursting in there and biting her head off wasn’t going to help.

I forced myself still in his grip. “Fine. Let go.”

Thomas hesitated, but released me a moment later. Harry must have been stunned to silence, since he hadn’t said anything during our short exchange. After a moment, he finally spoke.

“With all due respect, Warden Wright, I’m not going to do that for two reasons. One, it’s none of my business, nor is it any of yours. Two, my loyalty to Thomas vastly outweighs any semblance of loyalty that I have with you and I am not going to jeopardize my relationship with him just to make you happy. I understand your concern, but this is not the way to go about handling the issue of a suitor you disapprove of for your daughter.”

My mother let out a derisive laugh. “You know, my husband said coming here would be a waste of time. Turns out he was right. I should have known, but I guess I figured you had an iota of integrity.”

I could almost hear Harry clenching his teeth. “Warden Wright, you will not come into my goddamn house and insult me to my face after asking me to do something that is completely unethical.”

“Unethical? Helping my daughter out of the clutches of a White Court vampire is unethical?”

“Yes, it is. Cassie is an incredibly smart woman. Do you really think for one second that she’d let Thomas play her? What has she ever done that would indicate she’d fall for a trap that he laid for her?”

“You know as well as I do that the White Court can come at you sideways,” she snarled. “Don’t deny it. I’ve read up on you. Were you planning on telling the White Council about your alliance with Lara Raith or were you just planning to keep that under your hat, Dresden?”

“Any ‘alliance’ that you think I have with Lara Raith would have only been established to keep myself and the people I care about alive. Thomas is one of them. You are completely out of line and I want you to get out of my apartment before I escalate this into a harassment report.”

“And if you had a child, I suppose you’d just sit back and watch them make a mistake that could get them killed right in front of you?”

“She’s your daughter, not your child. Respect her decisions. You don’t have to like a single one of them, but going behind her back to ask me to stop it is wrong and you know it. I understand your anger and your frustration, but you shouldn’t be treating her this way. I’m not going to do a goddamn thing if it meant that it would hurt her. Not for an instant. Do you understand me, Warden Wright?”

Silence pervaded the apartment. My head swam with so many thoughts. The anger and righteousness in his voice…I’d never heard someone go to bat for me that way before. He’d stood up for me.

Eventually, my mother spoke again and this time, she didn’t sound furious. She sounded tired. “My daughter respects you, Dresden. If you won’t stop the vampire, then at least speak to her about what it is that the White Court is capable of. She won’t listen to me. I’m not going to lose her.”

“Cassie is stronger than that,” Harry said quietly. “You won’t.”

“I hope you’re right. If anything happens to her because of that vampire, I want you to know that he’s going down first and then I’m taking you right after.”

“So be it.”

The front door wrenched open and closed. Harry’s heavy footsteps padded back in our direction and he opened the door, his expression somewhere between stormy and exhausted.

Thomas exhaled. “Jesus, man. Sorry.”

Harry shook his head and then ran a hand through his tousled hair. “Not your fault.”

Thomas glanced at me. “Look, maybe I should approach her. Make it seem like I ‘dumped’ you just so we’re not having to put up with this shit.”

“That would fix the temporary problem,” I said. “Not the real one. She had no right. Not one. I don’t care if I actually were fucking you. She can’t go around making demands on my behalf and screwing up my relationships just because she’s paranoid that her kid’s a Warden now.”

I clenched my jaw and tried to quiet my anger. “After the stakeout, I’ll set her straight. I’m sorry, guys. This is…”

I sighed. “I had no idea she’d react this way.”

“No way you could have,” Harry said, absently brushing a lock of hair away from my cheek.

He then paused when he noticed my clothes. “Did you change in front of my brother?”

I didn’t even bother holding back when I punched him in the ribs that time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things reach a fever pitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NGL, some of this is my thinly veiled opinions about what went down between Harry and Ebenezar in Peace Talks. No spoilers, naturally. I just have...Opinions (TM) about Thomas and how others treat him.

Try as I might, I couldn’t get Thomas to buzz off and trust me to do my own makeup, so he came by shortly before I would head out for the stupid gala. In all fairness, at most, I wore eyeliner. I had zero idea how to apply foundation or anything else, and by now, my magic prevented me from using most modern electronics, so I couldn’t rely on Youtube videos any longer. The Warden’s retreat had taught me to harness two to three times more magic than before, so I had to kiss my cell phone and laptop goodbye. But I was hooked on the Paranet looking for the trinkets the magical community were trying to finagle to allow its usage. I missed my memes, dammit.

Thomas had instructed me to put the gown on first and then he’d apply makeup so the act of pulling it on wouldn’t smudge anything onto the fabric. Again, wouldn’t have thought of that. He was pestering me, but at least he was helpful.

The doorbell rang and I opened it, aiming a scowl at the White Court vampire out of sheer habit. He glanced me over and immediately said, “Are you going to wear your hair like that?”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t make me hex you, pretty boy.”

Thomas chuckled and walked inside carrying a small leather makeup bag. “Fine, I’ll do that too while I’m here. Bathroom?”

I pointed and he headed inside, unpacking items from the bag and then plugging in my curling iron. I dragged a chair inside and plopped down. “You’re not going to make me look like a showgirl, right?”

“Showgirl, no. High end escort, yes.”

I slugged him. He chuckled again. “Relax. I’ll add enough that you’ll look a little different, but nothing tasteless. I know the high society look. They won’t recognize you. Been practicing your cover?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. I’ll be on the outskirts anyway. Not trying to mingle.”

“Good.” He tilted my chin up and began expertly applying the liquid foundation. “Still radio silence from Warden Wright?”

“For now,” I grumbled. “I’ve been practicing how to cuss her out without actually cussing her out.”

“Ah, yes, a valuable skill. The art of civil disputes. I know it well. The tongue is quite the weapon when wielded correctly.”

I peered up at him. He hid a smile. “I’m going to let that one go for now, but I’m onto you, vampire.”

“Oh, it’s far too late by now, Cassandra darling,” Thomas mused. “I’ve got you in my clutches. You’re helpless. I’ll steal you right out from under Harry before you even realize it.”

I rolled my eyes again. “You’re just that confident, huh?”

“Not confident,” he said, moving on to the press powder. “Experienced.”

I shut my eyes as he lightly dusted my face with it. “In all seriousness…what’s it like?”

“Hmm?”

“Being able to…do what you do. I mean, I’m no Cindy Crawford. I can’t waltz into a room and command every man’s attention. I’ve always wondered what it’s like being outstandingly beautiful.”

“You’re serious?”

I nodded. Thomas picked up the eyebrow pencil, his expression thoughtful. “It’s…not everything it’s cracked up to be. While you get all the positive attention, you also get the negative kind. Jealous boyfriends and cuckolded husbands after you pretty much around the clock. The assumption that you have an empty head. Constant spotlights on you, same as what celebrities deal with, but on another scale. It can mess with your perception.”

“How so?”

“It’s about control,” he said as he carefully lined my eyebrows. “Think of it this way: if you were a fox in a barn full of baby chicks, how would you feel? You could take any of them anytime you wanted. They couldn’t defend themselves. You could gorge yourself for hours, days, even. It can give you a complex to be that powerful and yet you have to think up reasons every day not to just massacre them all.”

I bit my bottom lip. “Oh. Shit, Thomas. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to tease you all the time—”

“It’s alright,” he said quietly. “I promise.”

“You sure?”

Thomas smiled. “I actually like that you don’t walk on eggshells around me. It makes me feel more human.”

He selected a burgundy shade of lipstick and tucked a lock of hair behind his ear as he stooped over me, resting a hand on the back of the chair for balance. My pulse skyrocketed. I’d gotten used to my heightened senses when we interacted, but now he was so close and he smelled divine and he was so damned handsome. Maybe just one kiss. It couldn’t hurt. He wouldn’t say anything to Harry and—

I gripped the edges of the chair and took a breath, calming the tidal wave of lust. It just took practice to master it. I’d learned it on my own and during the Warden training. Simple will power was everything.

“You’re getting better,” he said quietly.

“Hmm?”

His eyes locked onto mine. “Controlling yourself around me.”

I blushed frightfully hard. “Oh.”

“You used to get nervous and avoid eye contact,” he explained as he rose to full height and capped the lipstick. “Or cover up your reactions with a joke. The Warden training is definitely paying off.”

“Guess so.” I swallowed. “Could you still…you know…if you wanted to do it?”

Thomas exhaled, his features solemn. “Yes.”

I shivered. And it wasn’t a bad shiver, either. “That’s crazy. How do you stand it? I mean, it would be so easy. Effortless. We’re all alone in here. I could put up a fight, but it wouldn’t take more than a minute or two, would it?”

“No,” he whispered, his eyes never straying from my own. “It wouldn’t.”

Thomas picked up the eye shadow. “Believe it or not, friendships help. Forming a bond with someone means I don’t see them as potential food all the time. I can think about what it would do to the friendship if I were to act selfishly. The fact that I like you as a person sort of puts this little protective bubble around you.”

I shut my eyes as he lightly dusted my lids. “So do I get to call you pookums, then?”

He snorted. “We’re not there yet, but I’ll let you know when we are.”

I shook my head. “Hypocrite.”

“Hey, no one said I was easy to get along with.” He applied eye liner. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For treating me like a person and not a monster. I can count on one hand how many wizards have done so in the past.”

Something in my chest withered at his words. Thomas was born a predator. There was nothing he could do about it but try to circumvent his urges, and as far as I knew, he’d done that. I knew people with barely a percentage of that kind of inner turmoil who couldn’t be bothered to choose to do the right thing. I could understand the White Court’s reputation leaving such a mark that all others assumed they were all rotten to the core. But Thomas…if there was ever an exception, he was it.

“I think maybe that’s why I’ve been so angry,” I admitted. “The idea that not even one White Court vampire—just one—might not be all that bad. The fact that my mother can’t even fathom just one good guy among them bothers me to my core.”

Thomas gave me a sad smile. “I’m not a good guy, Cassie.”

I shook my head. “You’ve had every single opportunity to be a monster, over and over. Yet you aren’t one. That’s pretty good in my book.”

He sighed. “If you say so.”

We fell silent for a bit as he curled my hair and then pinned it up for me. I could tell he’d been drawn into deep thought, but I let him be. Finally, he set the curling iron down and patted my shoulders. “And now for the final reveal.”

I stood up and beheld the change in the mirror.

Holy shit.

I looked…well, older, for one thing. Distinguished. Like I’d come from money. Thomas knew what the hell he was doing. I could have passed for a Chicago socialite easily with this kind of makeup and gown. I doubted anyone would recognize me. It was quite the transformation.

“Geez, Thomas,” I said, my eyes wide. “I think if your brother saw me right now, he’d pass out.”

Thomas laughed. “You’re probably right. Lucky him.”

I turned and hugged him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he murmured into my hair before letting go. “Knock ‘em dead, huh?”

I jutted my hip to one side and gave him my best Blue Steel impression. “I mean, how can I not?”

_Ding-dong._

I frowned deeply as the two of us walked around the corner. Thomas arched an eyebrow. “Expecting company?”

“No. They said the assignment was solo.” I reached out a hand and brushed against my wards. They hadn’t detected a hostile force, so I walked up to the peephole.

And found my mother standing there.

“For fuck’s sake,” I hissed. “That’s it.”

“Who is it?”

“My mom,” I snarled as I reached for the knob.

Thomas grabbed my arm, stopping me. “Cassie, this isn’t the time nor the place. You open that door and this is going to go sideways in a heartbeat.”

“I’ve had it, Thomas,” I told him.

He gritted his teeth. “Cassie, seriously. She’s your mother. Is that really a bridge you want to burn?”

“I can take the heat.”

He held my gaze for a long moment and then sighed, letting go. I snatched the door open.

“Oh, good, you’re ready,” my mother said. “I thought I’d give you a ride so we can…”

Her eyes wandered to the vampire behind me. “…talk.”

Anger filled her features. It didn’t suit her. I’d known her my whole life. She could be serious and stoic sometimes, but never irrationally angry.

And it was high time I put a stop to it.

“What is he doing here?” she demanded.

“Whatever he wants,” I spat. “What’s it to you?”

“Don’t you take that tone of voice with me.”

“I will take whatever tone I like because I am an adult. I pay my own bills. I took the Warden’s test. I passed the training. I did all of that, not you. What in God’s name makes you think that you can just stomp around my life upending everything just because you don’t like who I associate with?”

“He is a _White Court vampire_,” she shouted, spitting the last three words at me with the utmost venom. “The Raith mansion is built upon the bones of thousands of victims who were acting just as stupidly as you are right now.”

I heard Thomas sigh behind me. “Cassie—”

“No,” I said, glancing back at him. “You’re not leaving. She is.”

“Excuse me?” she demanded.

“You heard me.” I crossed my arms. “From this moment on, you are no longer welcome in my home.”

She stared at me in total disbelief. “You…Cassie, you can’t—”

“I can do whatever I damn well please. Until such a time as you are willing to sit down and have a conversation with me instead of berating me about my associations, I have nothing left to say to you. If you do anything to damage the relationship that I have with Thomas, directly or indirectly, then I will file a grievance with the White Council.”

I grabbed my purse and coat, donning them. Then I took Thomas’ hand and led him out of my apartment without another word, slamming the door. My mother stood there speechless in the hallway as we walked away from her. I damn near punched the elevator button, shaking from head to toe with adrenaline and hurt and anger.

The doors opened and we walked inside. I didn’t look towards my mother, though I knew she was still standing there on my welcome mat. The doors shut.

Thomas squeezed my hand. “You okay?”

“No.”

“Didn’t think so.” He tugged on my arm. I didn’t move at first. He tugged a bit harder. Some of the adrenaline slipped away. I was suddenly very tired, so I let him draw me close. He hugged me, brushing his lips against my temple. A flood of pleasure flowed down my body. My tense muscles relaxed. The tears that had been threatening my eyes retreated. The white-hot ball of fury in my chest shrank and disappeared. I’d never felt a White Court vampire’s touch in this way before, but I could instantly understand why so many had fallen for them. My cares simply vanished. It was as if he’d wrapped me in a blanket of euphoria.

The elevator dinged and the doors parted. I didn’t move.

“You’re going to be alright,” Thomas said quietly. “She’ll come around.”

I held him tighter, hiding my face in his neck for just a moment longer. “What if she doesn’t?”

Thomas cupped my cheek and smiled. “Then at least you’ve got two boyfriends to come home to.”

A weary laugh escaped me. “Right. Go me.”

He walked me to my car and popped open the door like a gentleman. “Call Harry once you’re back home. Be careful.”

“I will. Night, Thomas.”

He chucked me under the chin lightly. “Night, Warden Cassie.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie attends the gala.

If it were possible to die of boredom, I’d have hit the marble floor in a heap.

My God. I was already too introverted to enjoy parties on a good day, but a boring gala like this just turned it up to eleven. Not even the rich food was enough to offset the boredom of having to glide around the room in my stupid heels observing the guests and listening in on conversations on the peripheral. If only they’d let me get drunk. Sigh.

The gala was held at a local wiccan’s mansion outside of the city. She’d come from money, but she’d made a name for herself writing a series of benevolent spell books.

After an hour and a half, there was no sign of my target. The Wardens had received intelligence suggested a warlock named Anita had entered the states, intent on finding the witness that had exposed her as a black magic user to the Council. He was just an ordinary librarian named Joss Pickens whose bookstore specialized in spells. He’d witnessed her practicing the dark arts and blew the whistle. She killed a Warden in her escape and rumors placed her somewhere in Mexico until now. My job was to keep an eye on Pickens and if I spotted Anita, I would report it back to the Council for them to send in the hounds. However, given how this was a huge event with lots of the magical community attending, the odds were very low she’d show up. It would be a definite death sentence. She had no shortage of enemies, so making a public appearance would be foolish, hence why they sent a junior Warden. No Warden worth their salt felt like taking this shit job and they knew they could foist it on me.

Thomas’ makeup job and gown choice for me had, however, gotten me some attention from a few would-be suitors. One approached me at the buffet table and another when I was admiring the paintings on the walls. I’d politely turned them down and they’d handled it with grace. Nothing worse than guys who got angry when rejected.

Towards the end of the second hour, things began to wind down and the crowd thinned, meaning I’d be allowed to leave soon. Pickens had hobnobbed with other book collectors and was having the time of his life, but I’d seen him finally begin to check his watch. Good. I couldn’t wait to go back to Harry’s and tear one off, as crass as it sounded. I was stir crazy and it would be great to blow off steam.

Pickens said goodbye to his companions and headed for the men’s restroom. I strayed towards the hallway just to be safe.

And that’s when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

The men’s restroom was around the corner through a long passageway. It was well-lit, but as I neared it, I realized something wasn’t quite right at the other end. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I glanced up at the ceiling and that was when I saw it—a chandelier appeared sheared in half. Someone had thrown up a Veil, but only up the walls, not all the way to the ceiling. Someone was hiding in plain sight.

“Pickens!” I shouted, and then sprinted after him.

He whirled around. “Miss?”

The Veil dropped and there stood a short, pale, curly haired brunette.

And beside her stood a freaking Chimera.

I’d read about Chimera. They were about the size of a pitbull with a lion’s head, a freaky ass goat head protruding at the base of the lion’s head, and a scaly backside with a snake at the end of the tail. None of the heads were any fun; the lion’s head spat fire, the snake’s venom was the deadliest on Earth, and the goat spat acid.

The Chimera reared its furry, golden head and let out a hideous screech before belching a column of fire straight at Pickens.

Thank God for exercise.

I tackled him to the floor just in time. The flames shot over our heads, missing by just a foot or two. I unleashed a wallop of will power into the silver necklace around my throat and it glowed bright purple with my magic, forming a bubble from the top of my skull down to the floor, covering about three feet of space in front of us.

The Chimera’s jaws closed and it snarled before racing towards us on all fours. I dragged Pickens to his feet and shoved him behind me, snatching off one of my earrings. I spoke a word and then dropped part of my shield. I threw the earring at the Chimera. It bounced off its nose.

And then a portal opened underneath the creature and it fell into it with a yelp.

Another portal opened on top of Anita’s head and the Chimera squashed her flat on the marble.

“Ha!” I cheered, and then hauled Pickens with me back down the hallway. We turned the corner and I hollered at the guest to clear out. I told Pickens to find our wiccan host, Raven, and stay with her until I could get some help. I’d just barely shoved him out the door when the Chimera came screaming into the ballroom, dousing everything in front of it in plumes of fire. Behind it, Anita had a quarter staff and she slung spells as soon as she spotted me. I kicked off my heels and threw myself into a dive roll. I came up on one knee and yanked up my dress to thigh level, revealing the wand I’d carefully strapped to my leg for an emergency.

Anita gritted her teeth and made a snatching motion with one hand. Behind me, the doors slammed shut, cutting off my exit. I could hear someone pounding on the doors to try to get back inside to help, but I knew they weren’t going to open anytime soon.

She stared past me at the windows and sneered. “Let me guess: one of the White Council’s lackeys?”

“Bingo,” I said as I took my defensive stance. “My name is Warden Cassie Wright. You are in violation of the Laws of Magic. Surrender or I will be forced to use lethal magic against you.”

She smirked and ran her fingers through the Chimera’s mane. “You’re in over your head, sweetheart. I just came here for the bookkeeper. You should have let me kill him. Now I’ll just have to take my frustrations out on you and the pathetic old men holding your leash.”

I smirked. “We’ll see who is on a leash by the end of this, bitch.”

Anita snapped her fingers and the Chimera lunged again. I pointed my wand at the floor. “Infriga!”

A patch of ice ten feet wide appeared and the Chimera tripped in its gait towards me, tumbling head over foot. Anita launched another spell at me. I darted behind one of the columns and tried to get a better look at the ballroom. Without access to the doors, I would need to get upstairs and try a window on the second floor. I was good, but I wasn’t quite warlock subduing good yet. I’d need backup.

I shut my eyes and concentrated my will. A second later, a Veil formed over me and an exact copy of me appeared beside it. My doppelganger broke into a run for the end of the hallway, which distracted Anita and the Chimera. As soon as they ran after the image, I quickly headed for the staircase.

I was halfway up when a fireball slammed into the wall above me.

Chunks of rock from the wall crumbled on top of me. I threw my shield up, but not fast enough. A big slab slammed into the top of my skull and I hit the stairs on my belly, dazed. Blood dripped down my skull and across my left eye, wetting my hair. All Thomas’ hard work, undone in a second. He’d be pissed.

I tried to crawl forward, but my arms were rubbery and barely responded. I heard growling behind me and feebly threw a rock in that direction. My head pounded with pain on every heartbeat. Damn it.

A hand gathered up my hair and then yanked me onto my back, dragging me to the landing. I struggled sluggishly until she kicked me hard in the gut, flattening me on the stairs.

“Well, at least tonight’s not a total bust,” Anita simpered. “Now I have a hostage.”

-

Harry glanced up from the chunky manila folder in his lap as his phone rang. He groaned in annoyance, but stood and shuffled over to it, rubbing his sinuses. “Dresden.”

“Harry, they have my daughter.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry arrives on the scene, and come hell or high water, he's going to get his girlfriend out alive.

Harry Dresden stepped out of the Beetle with all of hell in his eyes.

He opened the rear passenger’s side door and Mouse pounced out as well, flanking his owner as Harry walked along the grass up to the gravel leading towards the front of Raven’s mansion. By now, all the guests had been escorted off the premises. The mortal authorities hadn’t been contacted to avoid loss of life. They would be out of their depth. The Wardens would need to clean up the mess in-house, and Harry was damn sure going to do just that.

Warden Ellen Wright had cornered another Warden named Buckley over by the iron gates, heavily interrogating him about why he hadn’t been in the vicinity during the attack, from what Harry could tell. She was a tall woman with beaded dreadlocks that reached her shoulders, settling over the grey cloak in a dark contrast. He’d seen her mostly in button up shirts and slacks, but now she wore a black leather vest enchanted with magic and matching pants and boots.

There was someone else he’d never met before with her; a tall, handsome black man around her age, dressed in what Harry realized was Navy Seal fatigues. Cassie had told him her father Ethan was retired military, but he hadn’t known what branch. He stood beside his wife, a rifle strapped to his back, listening intently to the other Warden.

Warden Wright glanced up as she heard Harry approach, glancing at the dog quizzically, but failing to comment. “Warden Dresden.”

“Warden Wright,” Harry said tightly. “What happened?”

“The warlock’s here. She made a play for Pickens. Witnesses say they saw a Chimera attacking and Cassie was fighting it off. The doors are shut tight and they’ve got one hell of an electrical spell attached. We’re talking electric chair kinds of voltage. We have Raven taking stock to see if she can spot any weaknesses, but so far, there’s no way inside.”

“Like hell there isn’t,” Harry growled, glaring at the towering mansion. “When is the last time anyone saw Cassie alive?”

“Twenty minutes ago,” Warden Buckley said. “We think Anita wants to use her as a bargaining chip.”

“Good,” Ethan said. “I just need one clear shot.”

The Warden shook his head. “If you do that, the Chimera will have no master. It’ll kill Cassie and eat her alive.”

Ethan glared. “None of which would have happened if she hadn’t gone in there alone.”

Warden Buckley sighed. “There was no evidence suggesting Anita would be here. No sightings in Chicago whatsoever. It was just supposed to be observation only.”

“I don’t want excuses,” Warden Wright snarled. “I want solutions.”

“As much as I hate to agree, he’s right,” Harry said. “We can’t just pop the warlock from a window. She’s not stupid. She won’t show her face. We have to treat this the way the cops do.”

Warden Wright rounded on him. “You want us to negotiate?”

“No,” Harry said. “We’re going to fake negotiate. We need time. That’s how we get it. Buy Cassie as much time as we can so we can get her out.”

They all glanced up as Raven strode over to them, her face drawn with worry. “The spell covers the entire mansion. If we get within three feet of the walls, it’ll fry us.”

“How is that possible?” Ethan asked. “What about your wards?”

“Someone has betrayed me,” she said. “Someone must have told her part of the spells I use for my wards. Hers are wound in with my own as if they are of the same roots.”

“Is there a basement?” Harry asked.

“Yes.”

“Any way to access it that bypasses the spell?”

She shook her head. “What about counter spells to take down the wards?”

“I’ve tried every one I know. No effect.”

Harry exhaled through his nose. “Anita planned this out. I’ll bet she was going to mess Pickens up, enact the shutdown, and then try to negotiate with him as her hostage, but Cassie intervened. If we call the Council up, you know exactly what they’re going to say.”

“Yes,” Warden Wright said, her brown eyes hard. “Which is why I called you, Dresden. If there is anyone in Chicago who knows about ignoring the rules and causing chaos, it’s you.”

“I’m flattered,” Harry said dryly. “I’m guessing you expect me to have a plan.”

She crossed her arms. “Goddamn right I do.”

Harry stared at the mansion for a long moment. “The wards may not come down, but we might be able to interrupt the flow of the spell long enough to pry open a window or a door. Raven, you and Warden Buckley find a vantage point where she can’t see you and get to work finding a weakness.”

Harry reached into the backpack slung over one shoulder and withdrew walkie talkies, handing them out. Raven and Warden Buckley both nodded and headed out into the darkness of the grounds.

Harry turned to Ethan. “We need you to be the eagle eye. Take that scope and watch the windows. If we can narrow down where they are inside, it’ll help when it’s time to breach.”

Ethan squeezed his wife’s hand and then also disappeared onto the grounds. Harry clipped a walkie talkie to his belt and gave the other to her.

“How much do you know about this Anita chick, Warden Wright?”

“Her towering ego, for one,” she said, pacing in front of him, her jaw clenched. “Most of the black magic she’s been accused of using is related to vanity and greed. She’ll likely demand the Council waive her trial, but she’ll still kill Cassie. She hates Wardens. The one she killed died badly. Torn apart.”

“I suggest we hit her with the razzle dazzle.”

Warden Wright frowned. “Excuse me?”

“Distract her attention. Keep her focused on us and give Cassie a chance to do what she does best: improvise. Cassie’s smart as a whip. Even if she’s tied up in there, she’s observant and creative as hell. She’ll think of something to get herself out of harm’s way, so we need to back her up.”

“What about the Chimera?”

Harry smiled fiercely. “I’ll introduce it to Mouse.”

The Foo dog let out a resounding bark of confidence. Warden Wright scowled in skepticism, but nodded. “Who leads the distraction?”

“Me. I’m loud and obnoxious. She’ll know my reputation. I’ll get her talking. Once I have her attention, you and my backup can infiltrate to get Cassie out.”

“Backup?”

Harry whistled once. Thomas glided out of the darkness, dressed in all black, his Kukri at his hip.

“You,” Warden Wright growled.

“In the flesh,” Thomas said with a perfunctory smile.

“This is Warden business,” she spat. “You are not welcome here. The White Court cannot interfere with Council business.”

“Well, that’s just dandy,” Thomas said, rolling his eyes. “Because I’m not here on account of the White Court. I’m doing a favor for a friend.”

“You are not my daughter’s friend—”

“I was talking about Dresden,” Thomas said. Then his smile turned pointy. “But while we’re on the subject, yes, I am.”

She settled her hand over the knife sheathed to her belt. “Dresden, you have ten seconds to remove the vampire from the grounds before I do.”

“With all due respect, Warden Wright..._eat shit._”

She stiffened. “What did you just say to me?”

“You heard me,” Harry said. “Eat. Shit. You called me here because you want your daughter rescued. You want it done my way because you know the Council won’t negotiate and they’d let her die rather than let some warlock get leverage over them. I don’t give a good goddamn what you think about me or Thomas or either of our associations with Cassie. You asked for my help and I am providing it. Don’t like my methods? Fill out a fucking complaint card when we’re done.”

Harry towered over her, his voice a threatening hiss as he got in her face. “Because no matter what you think, we’re going to get her out of there alive and we will do it with or without you.”

He cocked his head slightly. “So what’s it gonna be, Warden?”

She glared at him, then Thomas. If her jaw clenched any tighter, it would pop a muscle in her face. “Fine. But if I find anything at all even remotely connecting you to this hostage situation—”

“Jesus fucking Christ, woman,” Thomas finally snapped. “I’m here for Cassie. Do you want to save her or do you want to waste more time justifying your own prejudice?”

With that, he stomped past her. She appeared to reel in her temper and then turned to follow him.

Harry knelt and rubbed Mouse’s ears. “Hey, furball. I need you to go with Thomas. There’s a thing in there called a Chimera. It’s nasty business, but I know you’ll kick ass when you get the chance. Be careful. Keep her safe.”

“Woof,” Mouse proclaimed, and then he trotted after Thomas and Warden Wright.

Harry stood and faced the mansion before him squarely. Anxiety balled up inside his chest cavity. He wanted to burn a hole in the wall and stomp in there and deck that little warlock across the room. He knew Cassie’s strength. He’d seen it. He knew better than to think she’d be an easy captive.

“Hang on, Cassie,” he whispered hoarsely, his hands balled into fists. “We’re coming for you, baby.”

The walkie talkie on his hip squawked and he heard Raven’s voice. “Dresden?”

“Yeah?” he answered.

“I have an idea.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and the good guys come up with a plan to rescue Cassie.

By the time a bubbling mass of artificial storm clouds formed over the front of the mansion to reveal Anita’s face, Harry Dresden was ready.

At the center of the mass, a mirrored surface broke through to show the smirking warlock on an image about ten feet in diameter. Harry quickly noted the dim lighting surrounding her and determined she likely was not longer in the upper floors of the mansion. It would be smart to hole up in the basement if it only had one exit.

“Warden Dresden,” Anita sneered. “Why am I not surprised?”

Harry shrugged. “Well, it is Chicago. Sort of my jurisdiction and all.”

She let out a prickly laugh. “And you’re doing a bang up job, clearly.”

“I can’t be everywhere at once. Sue me.”

“I doubt I’d get very much. They tell me you live like a pauper. The only reason you’re a warden is that the war is going so sideways that the Council is desperate.”

Harry smiled. “Don’t throw stones in a glass mansion. Desperate is as desperate does. That’s the only reason you’ve got my star pupil inside, isn’t it?”

Anita snorted. “If she’s the best in your armada, I’m not surprised the Reds are killing you all in droves. The Council is weak. It’s always been weak. I have to say it’s been a joy to watch them rip you to shreds.”

“Then you’re just as shortsighted as you are stupid,” Harry snapped. “The Council is the last line of defense between the Reds and the rest of the world. If we go, everyone goes. They’ll wipe out everything with a pulse.”

“Wolves need not concern themselves with the matters of sheep, Dresden,” she replied in a bored tone. “If humanity cannot protect itself, then it’s nothing more than natural selection.”

“Funny that comes from a woman who has enslaved a Chimera to her consciousness. Real natural.”

She shrugged. “What can I say? The opportunity presented itself.”

“Very practical. Hope it doesn’t literally bite you in the ass.” He offered a sharp grin. “Then again, maybe I do.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’d watch that sharp tongue. Don’t want me to take it out on your star pupil, do you?”

“It’s your funeral if you do. Name your terms of surrender.”

“I have no intention of surrendering,” Anita spat. “You are going to persuade the Council to drop the charges against me. I am going to walk out of those front doors a free woman. Any attack on this building and I will have the Chimera tear this warden limb from limb while you watch.”

“Before we do anything at all, I want proof of life.”

Anita batted her lashes. “What’s the matter, Dresden? Don’t trust me?”

“I’m not a man who trusts many people, sorry.”

The image of Anita shifted over towards the corner of the furnished basement. Cassie lay on her side with her arms and legs bound, gagged as well. Her brown eyes glinted with pure fire as she glared at the warlock, her breathing fast and erratic. Harry’s fist tightened around his staff. He fought down the boiling anger as the image shifted back to Anita.

“There,” she said. “You will negotiate on my behalf. I have ways of verifying that my wanted status has been dropped. Once it’s done, I will bring the warden with me outside of this place and leave her at a separate location for you to retrieve. If you cross me, she will suffer. Do you understand me, Dresden?”

“Understood. Obviously, I don’t have a mobile phone, so I’ll have to get to a pay phone to make the call. It’ll take time.”

“You have one hour.”

The image vanished and the artificial storm clouds dissipated. Harry climbed into the Beetle and picked up the walkie talkie, keeping his voice down just in case. “Confirmed proof of life. They look to be in the basement. I saw the voodoo doll peg board on the wall behind Anita’s head. Is that the one you were talking about, Raven?”

“Yes. Perfect. I’m constructing a circle. Were you able to see where Warden Cassie was?”

“Far left wall. The Chimera’s not with them, which means it must be patrolling the upper floors. Any sign of us and it’ll probably howl to alert her.”

“Trust me,” Thomas said fiercely. “It’s not going to see us coming.”

“Alright, so here’s the plan: Raven’s going to wake up one of the dolls and get over to Cassie to relay the plan and help her get herself loose. Warden Buckley’s going to interrupt the power source of the wards. It will give Thomas and Warden Wright roughly ten to twenty seconds to pry open a window. Mouse will go after the Chimera. I’ll stay out here to draw Anita’s attention. Thomas and Warden Wright will infiltrate the basement to get Cassie out and nab the warlock. If Anita runs, Ethan, do your stuff. Everyone copy that?”

“Copy that,” they replied in unison.

Harry fired up the Blue Beetle and pulled into the driveway, rolling past the gates and around the corner before pulling into the line of trees out of sight and exiting the vehicle. He checked his watch and decided on about how many minutes he’d need to wait to convincingly seem as if he’d contacted the Council.

“The waiting game,” Harry muttered. “My favorite part of any rescue mission. For once, I wish burning down the building was actually the solution to the problem.”

* * *

“Here,” Thomas said, pointing to the window on the first floor on the side of the house. “Looks to be a restroom. Chimera don’t have opposable thumbs, so it won’t be able to open the door to get us when we enter. I’ll rip the window frame out of the wall so the furball can fit through and then I’ll give you a boost.”

Warden Wright huffed as they knelt in the cover of the underbrush. “Am I supposed to take that as a gesture of you being a gentleman, vampire?”

“No. If we’re wrong about the wards and they come back online while we’re entering the premises, I’m strong enough to survive the voltage.”

She eyed him. “And I’m supposed to believe you’re willing to risk your life for my daughter.”

“Believe whatever the hell you want,” Thomas said, absently scratching Mouse’s ears as the big Foo dog settled against his right side. “I don’t care one way or another.”

They fell silent for a while. Warden Wright pulled her dreadlocks back into a ponytail and adjusted the grey cloak around her. Eventually, she sighed. “What is it that Dresden does for you, exactly? He didn’t strike me as bisexual.”

Thomas made a strangled noise and threw her an offended look. “Goddamn right he’s not. You think I’d tarnish my reputation going after that Neanderthal?”

Warden Wright chuckled. “Didn’t think so. What is it, then?”

“He’s a reliable ally. Works for cheap, doesn’t have an agenda, shoots straight. Not many parties mess with him twice, as I’m sure you know all too well. We exchange favors when it suits either one of us.”

“Yeah, I heard the rumors about Arctis Tor when he went to get the wee Carpenter girl out. Someone said there was a Raith present. You’re going to get a reputation at this rate. Can’t be good for your well-being siding with the White Council.”

Thomas stared at her pointedly. “I don’t side with the White Council. I side with Dresden. The White Council is a bunch of pompous windbags who only protect their corner of the world. The whole damn thing could fall to rancor and they wouldn’t care as long as their patch of grass is still green.”

“Well, you’re not wrong,” she admitted.

“Then why do you work for these jerks?”

“Same reason anyone takes a job they don’t agree with: to provide for their loved ones. Working for the wardens means I’m at the forefront of any major conflicts in Chicago. It reduces the chances of getting blindsided, so I can protect my family and friends from threats.”

She shook her head. “Not that it matters. You still came at me sideways anyway.”

Thomas pinched the bridge of his nose. “This again. So am I to assume that stick up your ass has been there your whole life? You’ve never had relations with someone who didn’t have a sparkling reputation? Always been a good girl, have you?”

Warden Wright frowned. “First off, that’s none of your business. Second off, the worst guys I ever dated don’t even come close to you.”

“I know what I am, warden. I have never forgotten. I don’t pretend to be anything other than what I am. That being said, I have offered no harm to you nor your family. If you would put aside your paranoia for two seconds, you would realize the truth.”

“What truth?” she demanded.

“You are a warden,” Thomas growled. “Think like one. What kind of side effects does it have on a person when they’re regularly being fed on by a White Court vampire? Has your daughter displayed a single one of those symptoms?”

Warden Wright’s mouth opened. Then it closed. She frowned at him harder. “She…hasn’t show any of them.”

“Exactly. I am not feeding on your daughter.”

“Then why the hell are you here?”

“Oh, I don’t know, because she’s funny and smart and adorable and _I like her.”_

She peered at him. “And your association with her is of no benefit to you otherwise?”

“Precisely.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Raiths always have an agenda.”

Thomas smirked. “To be fair, I am trying to corrupt her into becoming more cynical, but that aside, no. No agenda. I just like her. So you understand I take it personal when some chump warlock tries to hold her hostage.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. I know she’s seeing someone. If it’s not you, then who is it?”

“I said I wasn’t feeding on her,” Thomas added. “Feeding and sex are two different things, remember?”

“You’re lying.”

“Am I?”

“Yes, you are. I may not think much of you, but I know what sincere platonic affection sounds like.”

Thomas arched an eyebrow. “Do I strike you as the kind of man who is platonic with any woman?”

Warden Wright rolled her eyes. “I’ll hand it to you; you are quite pretty. That being said, you gave yourself away when you said she was adorable. I’ve known too many men, vampire or otherwise. You’re not sleeping with her. You were a red herring, which means that she’s hiding someone else and you just agreed to be the target in the meantime. What I don’t understand is who else it could be that she would feel the need to hide it. Unless it’s—”

Her walkie talkie piped up. “I’ve got the spell up and running. Eyes on Cassie. Everyone, get ready.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's about to go down.

There was a reason anyone with any common sense didn’t mess with wiccans.

I lay on the floor still trying to shake the pain off from my head injury, when I caught the slightest bit of movement out of the corner of my eye. The warlock had been pacing for a while, but eventually she disappeared into the stairwell to check on the Chimera. On the wall behind me were collections of things in glass cases from Native American pottery to butterflies to rare crystals. One such collection was a set of seven traditional voodoo dolls.

And one of them woke up.

It was about the size of one of those troll dolls. Its cloth body was handsewn and it had both paint and dried blood to create the designs with two black buttons for eyes. It tugged itself off of the nails holding it to the peg board and pushed the glass case open very carefully before quietly jumping down onto the hardwood floor. It was far too light to make any footsteps as it tiptoed across the archway between the basement and the stairwell, peeking around the corner. Once it determined she’d left, it tottered over to me.

The little gash for its mouth moved briefly and I heard Raven’s voice. “Cassie, are you alright?”

I nodded. “Good. We have a plan to extract you. Warden Dresden is going to create a distraction. Your mother and the vampire will head inside to collect you, so we need you to be ready. Roll over so I can see your restraints.”

I suppressed a moan of pain—my ribs had gotten bruised during the scuffle—and rolled over. The warlock had assumed she had me beat thanks to the bad bump on my noggin, so she’s simply tied me up with scarves she found in the downstairs bedroom closet.

The doll disappeared into the master bedroom as well and returned with a ceremonial dagger, no bigger than a regular steak knife. The doll carefully balanced it and began to saw at the thick cloth. “When she comes back down, pretend that you’re still bound so she doesn’t get wise until it’s too late. Do you have a weapon?”

I pointed my chin at the coffee table across the room. The doll wandered over and retrieved my wand, tucking it into the small of my back. The stairs lurched suddenly. The doll patted my hand. “Be ready. Good luck, Warden Cassie.”

The doll scurried around the back of the couch and out of sight as Anita returned to the basement, still without the Chimera. I lay on my back and continued trying to appear helpless and dazed as I held onto the dagger and carefully continued slicing through the scarf. I was having trouble calculating how much time had passed by now, but due to how antsy the warlock appeared, we were coming up on the hour long deadline she’d given Harry. She must have checked outside; she brought up the mirror projection again and I spotted Harry on the front lawn with his staff, looking grave.

“Well, Dresden?” Anita demanded.

“The Council has agreed to drop the most serious charges that would result in a death sentence if you were to be put on trial,” he said. “But they will not drop all of your criminal history.”

“I will kill this woman,” she snarled. “Do I need to prove how serious I am?”

“Those are the terms,” Harry said, narrowing his eyes. “They are non-negotiable.”

“Everything is negotiable, Dresden. So which body part shall I have the Chimera bite off first? Her arm or her leg? Your choice.”

Fury blazed in Harry’s brown eyes then. “If you touch one hair on her head, I will incinerate you myself. There won’t be enough of you left to fill a dust buster.”

Despite my predicament, that made me want to laugh. Grisly murder on behalf of his girlfriend. Harry Dresden sure knew how to make a lady swoon.

“An arm it is, then.” Anita lifted her hand, her fist glowing with whatever magic tied her to the Chimera, her smile smug and vicious.

And it wasn’t for long.

She frowned as nothing happened. She stared at her hand in disbelief, then the blood rushed out of her face as she put two and two together. “No.”

Panic and anger mixed together on her features as she glared at me. “Fine. Then we die together.”

She’d only taken a couple of steps towards me when the lights went out.

Showtime.

I exerted myself and tore the scarf off of my wrists and wriggled across the floor like a worm until I reached the spot behind the couch. I heard Anita’s footsteps where I’d just been and she let out a foul curse as she realized she’d been duped. I quickly sat up and sliced through the scarf around my ankles just as she called up a globe of light. “Come here, you little bitch!”

“That’s my line,” Thomas Raith whispered from where he stood directly behind her.

Anita tried to turn, but Thomas grabbed her around the throat with one hand, the other gripping her outstretched hand projecting the light. He kissed her cheek. A shudder flooded over her entire body and her eyes rolled back in her head as the White Court vampire presumably took one big bite out of her life force to render her useless. “N-No, not like this!”

She flung her other hand at the ceiling and a wave of blue magic struck it. An ominous rumbling sound followed. Oh God. She’d just destabilized the layer of concrete holding the mansion over our heads. The crazy bitch was trying to take us with her.

Thomas snarled and flung her away from him. She smashed into the flat screen on the far and crumpled in a heap, still twitching and moaning from his assault. The light flickered out with her and darkness claimed the entire basement as the mansion began to crack apart from the inside.

“Cassie!” Thomas shouted, searching blindly for me.

“Here!” I grabbed a handful of the couch and shoved myself to my feet. I felt his hands on my hips and he scooped me up, wrapping my legs around him. I held out my hand and called up a light spell as he stumbled towards the stairwell as huge chunks of stone and wood crumbled around us. He flattened us to the wall and dodged the rubble as he carried me. By the time we reached the first floor, half of the roof had already caved and all of Raven’s belongings were collapsing onto the floor along with everything else.

Thomas jerked hard to the right as a chandelier smashed into the marble where we’d just been standing. Somewhere in the mansion, I heard the echo of the Chimera’s screech, presumably as it fought off Mouse and my mother, but the dust had kicked up so severely that we couldn’t see anything.

We managed to make it to the foyer when the integrity of the structure finally caved in. The remaining two walls collapsed right on top of us. Thomas twisted his body to cover mine as I threw up my shield over the two of us as tons of rock slammed into the two of us from above. I heard Thomas scream in pain and my own screams joined him as the mansion buried us alive.

* * *

“Cassie!”

Couldn’t see. Couldn’t breathe. So tired. Just wanted to sleep.

“Cassie! Thomas!”

Noises. The raspy, crackling sound of concrete sliding against itself. My ribs hurt so much. My head throbbed with need for air.

“Cassie! Thomas! Answer me, goddammit!”

Something warm and firm lying across my upper body. Thomas. He was still breathing, thank God. I hadn’t passed out all the way; my shield still glowed bright underneath the rubble. I’d rested my forearm across the back of Thomas’ neck, holding him to me so he was still safely under it. The shield extended over us in a dome just big enough to fit our bodies, much like a coffin, but it wouldn’t hold forever. The lack of oxygen made it so hard to concentrate, but I filled my lungs with what I could and called out, “Here! We’re over here!”

“I can hear them!” Harry bellowed to someone above us. “Cassie, hang on, I’m coming!”

I let out a drunken, pained chuckle. “Phrasing.”

“Forzare!”

Some of the rubble cracked in half and then collapsed on either side of our strewn bodies. Finally, I could see a bit of light from Harry’s amulet. He jumped down from where he’d been standing on a craggy outcropping and landed near my feet. Exhausted, I dropped my shield and ran my hands through Thomas’ silken locks, stained with blood and dust. He stirred against me finally, groaning in pain as he regained consciousness.

Harry’s worried face floated into my view and I let out a hoarse laugh. “Hey la-dee-la, my boyfriend’s back!”

Harry laughed shakily as well, sliding his arm underneath Thomas and lifting the woozy vampire off of me. He eased him onto the ground beside me and glanced him over. “Come on, man, say something.”

“Yay,” Thomas mumbled in an exhausted voice. “I finally got to second base with our girlfriend.”

“Congratulations,” Harry said, rolling his eyes, and then knelt in front of me. He touched my cheek and gave me a wobbly smile. “Hey, stranger. You missed dinner.”

“Mm, sorry about that,” I croaked, touching the back of his hand. “What was it? Meatloaf again?”

“Nah. Burgers.”

“S’fine. I’m sure they’ll reheat well.”

He pressed his forehead to mine and exhaled. “Yeah. They will.”

We stayed there for a moment, just touching, letting the relief of being alive wash over us.

“Get a room,” Thomas said feebly.

“Hee hee, you’re just jealous,” I said finally when Harry pulled away enough to gather me in his arms. “Jealous vampire boyfriend.”

The vampire let out quite a bit more pained groaning, but slowly rose beside us. “You owe me a new set of clothes, little girl. This shirt was Calvin Klein, you know.”

I lay my head against Harry’s chest. “Well, it’s not like I asked you to save me, pookums.”

I reached for his hand. He gave it to me. I squeezed it and smiled fondly at him. “But thanks anyway.”

He squeezed back and kissed the back of it, his grey eyes just as fond. “You’re welcome.”

We climbed up out of the hole through the floor to the surface. There had been a pair of shadows up towards the top that turned out to be my mother and father. Mouse stood beside them, dark spots of blood on his grey fur, but he didn’t appear too hurt based on his doggy grin. I reached down enough to pat the top of his furry head. “Best boy. Goodest boy. Thanks for the rescue.”

I faced my parents. “So that was a thing.”

My mother shook her head. “Still cracking jokes. That’s my daughter alright.”

“I am who I be.”

“Ambulance is on the way,” my dad said. “We can take it from here, Dresden.”

Harry’s hands tightened around me protectively. “No offense, but you can pry her from my cold dead hands between now and when it gets here.”

I touched his cheek, tilting his face down towards me. “It’s alright, watchdog.”

“Like hell it is.” He glanced back up at my parents with a stubborn look. “She’s with me. End of story.”

With that, he turned and carried me out of the rubble. I closed my eyes and relaxed in his arms, laughing quietly under my breath. “Well, that’s one way to go about it. You know you just basically told them we’re together, right?”

“Fuck it,” Harry growled. “I’ve had worse.”

Thomas led the way to his Hummer parked on the front lawn out of sight and popped open the trunk. Harry set me down on the edge of the trunk and Thomas opened his emergency First Aid kit. He snapped on a pair of gloves. “What hurts the most?”

“Hey,” I protested. “You’re hurt too. Fix yourself first.”

“Most of my injuries will heal in a matter of hours.”

“Braggart.”

Thomas rolled his eyes and started treating my scrapes and bruises. Harry sat beside me and held my hand, as pretty much everywhere Thomas touched me hurt like hell. Somewhere during this process, I noticed all the grey concrete dust that Harry had been covered in from nearly head to foot.

“Did you literally try to dig us out with your bare hands?” I asked.

Harry glanced out at the yard, his dirty cheeks turning pink. “Uh.”

“Aww,” I said, grinning. “You idiot.”

He huffed. “Look, I was distressed, alright? I have a spell for gravity, but I’m not great at levitation. That’s what your mother was up to. I went the traditional route.”

“This is how all great love stories begin,” Thomas mused. “Executing a warlock and getting buried alive in a wiccan’s mansion.”

“Oh, Jesus,” I said, shaking my aching head slightly. “Don’t even start with that. Imagine if we did fall in love. I’d have to tell my kids I met their father taking a Warden’s class and had numerous fantasies about him banging me on top of his desk.”

Harry choked and turned darker red. Thomas burst out laughing. “Cassie, I think you’re not supposed to disclose that part to your children.”

“Ah, right. Sorry. It’s the concussion talking.”

Thankfully, just then the ambulance came wailing up the driveway. Harry scooped me up again and brought me over to them. They tucked me inside and went to work immediately. Thomas refused any care, much to my annoyance, and kissed my forehead before heading home. Harry stayed in the ambulance with me as the EMTs got me all fixed up. They recommended bringing me back to the hospital, but like most wizards, I declined. I couldn’t risk any electrical equipment going haywire. They didn’t like that one bit, but they agreed and told me to stay in the ambulance until the wooziness wore off and then instructed Harry to take me home with strict orders to stay in bed for at least two days.

I wasn’t the least bit surprised when my mother appeared and knocked on the doors after they finished. Harry scowled deeply and glanced at me. “Should I let her in?”

“Might as well get it over with.”

He sighed. “Yeah.”

Harry opened the ambulance doors and my mother climbed inside. Harry stubbornly returned to my side and held my hand, as if just daring her to say something about it. My mother stared at our joined hands for a long moment and then sighed.

“I suppose this is my fault for making assumptions.”

“Yeah. Ass out of you and me, you know how that phrase goes,” I said mildly.

She crossed her arms. “I could report you, Dresden.”

“Yes,” Harry said, running his thumb over my taped up knuckles. “You could.”

“It’s unethical.”

“Yes, it is.”

She shook her head and turned away for a second, muttering something under her breath. She faced me after a while. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why him? Of all the eligible bachelors in the city of Chicago, you picked Captain Disaster.”

“Hey,” Harry protested.

“If the boot fits, Dresden,” she snapped. “And you know it does.”

“Didn’t say it didn’t, but words hurt, you know—” I covered his mouth with my free hand and gave him a stern look.

“Behave.”

He made a little cross over his heart and I let him go. I faced my mother. “Why does it matter, Mom? He’s still my choice whether you decide to take action against us or not.”

“Because I need to understand you, Cassie. I’ve known you your whole life. The most reckless thing I’ve ever seen you do is eat too many donuts during finals week. Now you’re a warden and you're fighting a war against Red Court vampires and sleeping with a superior officer.”

“What you see and what I am are two different things,” I said quietly. “That’s why I let you think it was Thomas. I wanted you to pay attention to your own bias and prejudices. But for your own curiosity, fine. I’ll answer your question.”

I met her gaze. “I chose Harry because he’s sincere and funny and humble and appreciative. All I ever heard were the horror stories from the Council. Yeah, sure, he’s plenty powerful and irrational, but he’s also patient and affectionate. He has never given me a single reason to doubt him. To my knowledge, he hasn’t lied to me about anything. This relationship is the most honest one I’ve ever had before despite the irony that I’ve kept it from you and the Council. I like the way that I feel when I’m with him. I don’t feel compelled to hide aspects of myself that I had to in other relationships. You’re welcome to try to sabotage it. It won’t change how I feel about him one bit.”

My mother’s eyes narrowed. “What if it doesn’t work out? You’ll still have to see him at meetings or coordinate with him for assignments.”

“Then that will still be my problem, not yours.”

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I guess it is.”

My mother looked at Harry. “Thank you for saving my daughter. I’m not going to report you.”

Harry gave a little start. “Uh…thanks. But why not?”

“Because I saw you down there,” she said, her gaze softening. “Digging her and Thomas out with your bare hands. That wasn’t fake. That wasn’t ego. That wasn’t just sexual attraction. You risked your life sincerely and you were just as shaken as I was when the mansion went down around them. That tells me that this isn’t some passing fancy. I was afraid you were taking advantage of her.”

She glanced at me. “And you’re right. It’s none of my business. I was wrong. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been trying to control you or your relationships. It won’t happen again. I’m always going to worry about you, but from this point forward, I won’t let it control me.”

My mother turned and pushed the ambulance doors open. Then she paused and glanced at Harry again. “Apologize to Raith for me. He’s good people. I owe him one.”

Harry nodded. She left. I exhaled and closed my eyes. “Thank God for small miracles.”

“Thank God she’s gone.” I opened my eyes in time to see him lean over to kiss me. It was a damned good kiss. Warm, soft, caring, passionate. My aches and pains fled my body for several seconds.

He slowly pulled away, his lips still touching mine as if he couldn’t stand the thought of leaving me right now. “Been wanting to do that for a while.”

I ran my bandaged fingers across the edge of his jaw, feeling the familiar scruff there. “Big cinnamon roll.”

He smiled. “Guilty as charged.”

I leaned his forehead against mine. “Better not fall in love with me, mister.”

Harry grinned, his eyes sparkling with good humor and mischief. “No promises, Sassy Cassie.”

* * *

I stirred as I heard the bathroom door open and close, rolling over. Harry walked out in just a towel and headed for the drawer I’d made up for him in my dresser. I propped my head up, blinking the light sleep out of my eyes, and let out a wolf whistle. “Got fries to go with that shake, baby?”

Harry chuckled. “Thought you were asleep.”

“The thirst has awakened me.”

He laughed that time. “Ah, I see.”

“It’s no use putting on boxers when I’m just going to rip them off of you anyway.”

Harry shook his head, smiling as he walked over to me and sat on the mattress. “Cassie, it’s only been a six days. The doctor said you need at least a full week’s worth of rest before doing anything strenuous.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, crawling into his lap. “But lest ye forget the healing power of sex.”

Harry looped his arms around me, clucking his tongue in dissent. “Cassie.”

“What?” I asked innocently. “I can totally rest after a copious helping of wizard dick.”

Harry choked on a laugh. _“Cassie.”_

“Come on,” I lilted as I wiggled my hips over him. “Don’t pretend like you haven’t wanted to this whole time.”

“Not denying that,” he said mildly, catching my hips between those big hands to hold me still. “Patience is a virtue. I’m not going anywhere, you know. Neither are you.”

I kissed him. “Lies. I fully intend to ride the Dresden Train to Bonetown.”

He laughed again. “Incorrigible.”

Harry lifted me rather easily and rolled me onto my back, putting his weight down to flatten me. “Don’t make me tie you up.”

His eyes gleamed. “Again.”

I licked my lips. “You can’t threaten me with a good time, Dresden.”

I ran my hands down the length of his back and he hummed in pleasure before he could help it. I almost made it to the towel before he caught my wrists and pressed them to the bed on either side of me. I pouted. “Spoilsport.”

He huffed. “Alright, fine, how about a compromise?”

“I’m listening.”

“We go slow. None of the rough stuff.”

“Hmm…depends. Does that exclude biting?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Depends on where and who is doing the biting.”

“Well, my last hickey faded out this week,” I said, lowering my lashes a bit. “I’m awful sad about it.”

Harry gave me a steamy little smirk. “I’ll think about it. How’s that?”

I heaved a sigh. “Oh, I suppose that’s alright with me. Sacrifices must be made for the greater good.”

He kissed me, his voice velvet in my ears as he rubbed the ridge of his cock against me. “Trust me, sweetheart. Good doesn’t even start to cover it.”

He kissed the spot under my jaw that made my toes curl. “Just because I can’t fuck you hard doesn’t mean you’re not still going to get what’s coming to you.”

My breathing kicked up significantly. I could hear my voice trembling. “What’s coming to me, Harry?”

“Me holding you down and fucking you nice and slow,” he murmured, his lips trailing over the side of my neck. “Drawing it out until you’re begging to come.”

My eyes rolled back. Damn him. Harry was way, way too good at dirty talk. He’d already made me embarrassingly wet just from that alone. “Finding that one little spot you like so much and giving it to you right there where you want it. You know the one I mean.”

Harry shifted slightly until his hips found the right angle and then he pressed into me, sending a burst of pleasure up my thighs. “This one.”

“God, yes,” I breathed before I could help it, bucking up against him. “Right there, Harry, yes.”

He sucked on my throat and I moaned, trembling when he bit down. He licked the same spot and kept going until he’d replaced the hickey I’d been flaunting before. By now, we were both breathing ragged as hell and grinding into each other.

“Arms up,” he ordered, sliding down my body until his hands reached my panties. I obeyed as he peeled them off and spread my legs. His hot mouth found its target immediately, his tongue surging into me impatiently. I clutched the pillow and arched up into him as the pleasure dragged me down into its depths. He slid his hands underneath my oversized shirt and teased my breasts, his need apparent, but his touch surprisingly light. He kept his word about going slow, gradually pushing me towards the edge and staying the course once I’d gotten close. His thumb grazed my clit and lavished it with attention until I fell apart underneath him, convulsing on the bed in the throes of my orgasm. After a week of dull aches and pains, it was nothing short of heavenly.

He kissed a line of fire up my belly, raising the shirt as he went, eventually pulling it off inside out. He pulled my arms up higher to stretch the line of my body beneath him and then held my wrists together against the pillow. He teased both of my breasts with his free hand and mouth until I moaned his name in that tone he loved. His calloused fingers slid lovingly over my sweaty skin until they reached between us. He slipped a long finger inside me and edged me all over again until I was sopping wet and grinding down against his hand for want of another orgasm. He let me have it, swallowing the cry of his name as he released me yet again.

I hadn’t even come down yet when he pulled off his towel and then slid his cock inside me.

“Harry!” I arched my back and wrapped my legs around him, shaking from head to toe as all my nerves melted at once. “God, fuck me, Harry.”

“No,” he said in that same patient, measured tone. “Slow and steady wins the race, remember?”

He settled above me and gripped one half of my ass to keep me pressed into him as he moved languidly. His thrusts were nothing short of exquisite. He took his time, filling me to the brim, withdrawing, then returning in a continuous loop that had me writhing in mere seconds. I’d had sex before. No one had ever made love to me before. I thought I would lose my mind from how good it felt.

“Shit, Harry,” I gasped out. “God, I’m gonna come.”

“So come,” he murmured.

“Mm, but it’s too soon.”

“No such thing, sweetheart.” He circled his hips on the next thrust and I cried out, coming that very instant. The orgasm left me breathless. Harry growled softly in my ear and tilted his head enough to catch my lips again. I kissed him back, unable to keep from whimpering as I felt his cock still hard and twitching inside me, ready for more. I locked my legs around him and ground down against his pelvis as he kept going with that same sensual pace. Harry’s low groans and soft exhales had me quivering in anticipation, wanting more and more of his pleasure. I climbed again in no time flat and couldn’t stop the stream of words pouring out of me as the ecstasy seized me yet again.

“Oh God, Harry, you’re gonna make me come, I can feel it, mm, I want you to come too, please.”

He shuddered on top of me. “God, I love it when you beg.”

“Please, Harry,” I whimpered into his mouth. “Please come. It feels so good when you come.”

He squeezed my wrists, his breath coming faster and faster, and I could feel him fighting his instincts to pound me into the bed like a savage, which just turned me on even more. He planted his free hand beside my waist on the bed and pinned my lower body to one spot, his thrusts deep and short, nailing my spot several times in a row. “Fuck, Cassie, I’m close.”

“Now,” I urged. “Now,_ please_, Harry.”

He growled again and relocated his hand between our bodies, finding my clit with his middle finger and rubbing it furiously. I flew into my climax and took him with me this time. Liquid heat seared through me and singed my nerves all over. I dissolved into a puddle beneath him, deliriously content and high as a kite. Harry slowed his thrusts one at a time, still lovingly petting my clit, extending the pleasure for the both of us. He eventually stilled and collapsed onto his side to avoid crushing me. I wrapped my arms around his neck once he let them go and buried my face in his warm chest, sighing wistfully.

“Okay, you’ve convinced me. Slow and steady wins the race.”

He rubbed the length of my spine, kissing the top of my head. “How hard will you hit me if I said, ‘I told you so’?”

“Fairly hard.”

“I thought so.” He paused. “I told you so.”

I hit him in the ribs. He chuckled good-naturedly. “Be gentle with me, Sassy Cassie. I’m only human.”

“I sure hope not. I was hoping you’d be around for a couple centuries to continue annoying me to death.”

Harry tilted my chin up so I had to look at him. There was something very warm and affectionate resting in his features. “You’re stuck with me, Warden Cassie. Come hell or high water.”

I smiled and kissed him. “Lucky me.”

FIN


End file.
